3.17.2011

Happy Pea Planting Day!

No really, I mean it. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!! For the first time I was able to get my peas into the ground on the garden fabled pea planting day. Happy St Patrick's Day! I am also proud to say that I am the first community gardener to have done any work to their plot. A lot of my plot neighbors still have old pepper and eggplant plants dead and withered with moldy fruit in their plots. I was very excited to see that a new rule this year was keep your plot clean and harvested or risk being kicked out. It really ticked me off last year to see so many fruits and veg going to waste in these lazy gardeners plots.

Anywho... I got about 10 packets of peas planted, mostly sugar snap and a few snow, and I also got all of my onions planted. My pea supposrt structure has been different every year, and this year is no different... I went this year with a teepee approach using 1x2 boards, string, and nails. I had bought some sets of red and white onions, and they were starting to send out shoots, so in the ground they go!!! Here are some pics...

My plot, hard and compacted and begging for seeds!

My Pea Teepee

My plot, after... Peas and Onions

Neighbors overwintered asparagus

Neighbors dead peppers... I can't believe they are still hanging after this winter!

I look at the dead tomato plants on my (new) neighbor's side of the fence and wonder if they'll bother cleaning them up this year. Of course, I can't say much, when my own garden is in such a state of disrepair! Yours is looking great :-)

Your pea trellis looks very nice and organized! How many peas do you grow on each pea trellis?

What kind of onions did you plant and how big are they when you harvest them? When do you harvest them? Last year I planted small onion bulbs in May and they were quite big when harvested in August. Never planted seeds before. So just curious!

RG, I usually plant my peas about 2 inches apart, divided by however many inches you have in your garden space, just go from there. This year I said to myself, screw it! I just threw the peas into the bed and I am hoping for the best. I tossed a zillion peas (really, like 10 or 12 packets of peas) into the 6ft x 4 ft space, and I am just going to see what happens. I can never get enough peas, as they are usually gone from snacking by the time I get home from the Community garden.

As for the onions, I have never grown them before, so I don't really know what to expect. I planted just some "yellow" and "red" sets I picked up at Home Depot. They were starting to send out shoots so I figured they should go into the ground. I put them about 5 or 6 inches apart, so I hope they have enough space. I really don't even a clue about when to plant or harvest them, so I'm just going with guessing... This year, I am sure, will be chock full of lessons!

Meems, Ugh, the pea supports! Every year has been different, and I just cant decide what I like best... Last year I used bamboo teepee things, and they just fell over under the weight of the peas. The year before, I used a totally vertical fence sort of structure thing, and the peas just didn't do that well... I am hoping this year the structure AND the peas hold up...